Hundreds Evacuated in Frankfurt so WWII Bomb Can Be Defused

BERLIN—Some 600 people have been evacuated from their homes in the old city of Frankfurt so specialists could remove a World War II-era bomb that was discovered in the Main River.

The German news agency dpa reported the bomb was defused, as planned, underwater on Sunday, April 14, which led to a loud detonation and a big water fountain on the river. Police told dpa “the bomb is no longer a danger.”

During the underwater defusing, a more than 30-meters high fountain was rising and visible from afar. “This huge explosion and water fountain were really impressive and huge, that worked really well.” said Claudia Klerks, who happened to be there with her husband.

Firefighters had discovered the American 550-pound bomb during diving training in the river on Tuesday.

Even more than 70 years after the end of the war, bombs and other munitions still turn up regularly in Germany, a testament to the ferocity of the fighting in World War II.

wwii bomb defused in frankfurt
A large water fountain rises behind the Iron Bridge when an American bomb from the Second World War in the Main River is detonated with a blast in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 14, 2019. (Frank Rumpenhorst/dpa via AP)

WWII Bomb Defused at Volkswagen Site in Germany

A World War II bomb found on the premises of automaker Volkswagen in the German city of Wolfsburg has been defused on July 8, 2018, after some 4,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding area.

People within a 0.6-mile radius, an area that includes part of central Wolfsburg, had been evacuated as a precaution.

The operation forced the temporary closure of a major railway line and a canal that run past the sprawling Volkswagen site, where the company has its headquarters.

wolfsburg volkswagen headquarter
Volkswagen’s factory building in Wolfsburg, Germany, on March 12, 2019. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

3 WWII Bombs Removed from Baltic Sea Resort in Poland

More than 2,000 people were evacuated on Aug. 13, 2018, while Polish navy experts removed three World War II bombs from the Baltic Sea bed at the vacation resort of Kolobrzeg.

The spokesman for the local navy unit, Jacek Kwiatkowski, said the bombs were hoisted out of the sea and onto a special truck and were taken to a test range for a controlled detonation.

Navy explosives experts
Polish navy experts in explosives are retrieving 3 World War II-era bombs from the Baltic Sea bed in the vacation resort of Kolobrzeg, Poland, on Aug. 13, 2018. (Sekcja Prasowa 8.Flotylla Obrony Wybrzeża/AP photo)

Each bomb weighed about 660 pounds and their impact radius was estimated at 1.2 miles. Two other metal objects found at the site turned out to be parts of an old anchor and some scrap metal.

Dariusz Trzeciak, a Kolobrzeg city official, said about 2,000 residents and 200 vacationers were evacuated in their own cars or in buses. They were later allowed to return.

Kolobrzeg, which was part of Germany during the war, was the site of fierce fighting in the war’s last phase.

NTD Photo
Polish navy experts in explosives are retrieving 3 World War II-era bombs from the Baltic Sea bed in the vacation resort of Kolobrzeg, Poland, on Aug. 13, 2018. (Sekcja Prasowa 8.Flotylla Obrony Wybrzeża/AP photo)
ntd newsletter icon
Sign up for NTD Daily
What you need to know, summarized in one email.
Stay informed with accurate news you can trust.
By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Comments